Congress Gets A Pay Raise As Fiscal Cliff Nears

The United States is just a few days away from tumbling over the fiscal cliff, which means there is only one logical thing to do: Give everyone in Congress a pay raise.

The Huffington Post reports that President Obama gave members of Congress, federal workers, and Vice President Joe Biden an early New Year’s gift on Thursday. Obama signed an executive order to lift a pay freeze for Congress.

The order will give all federal employees a half-percent to one percent pay raise on March 27, 2013. It will be the first time that Congress has had its pay increased since 2009.

The Weekly Standard reports that Biden, who made $225,521 last year, will now make $231,900. Members of Congress will also see their pay increase. Members of the House and Senate will see their annual salary increase from $174,000 to $174,900. House Speaker John Boehner will see his pay raised to $224,500 and House Majority Leader Harry Reid will take home $194,400.

President Obama and members of Congress are currently meeting to discuss how to solve the nation’s debt crisis and avoid the fiscal cliff. Apparently taking a pay cut was not one of the options on the table.

On the bright side, The Inquisitr reported earlier that Congress has made progress and that a deal to avoid the fiscal cliff is imminent. That still doesn’t change the fact that, according to the Huffington Post, the 112 congress will be the least productive since the 1940s.